Free Because You Love Me
by K8LYNN0922
Summary: ERERI jail fic. Will contain smut and 'surprising' ending. You have been warned. Lots of cute and funny Eren and Levi moments. Some violence. Additional characters: Pixis, Erwin, Hanji, Jean, Marco, Sasha, Connie, Mikasa, Armin. SOME CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER VIEWERS.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody! I'M BAAAAACK! Sorry for that short hiatus. I'm on a bit of a writer's block on my first fanfic (this is my second, if you didn't know). So if anyone is following my first fic and think they have an idea as to how it should continue, PLESE let me know. If I use any of your ideas or suggestions (as I may use more than one, it depends) you will receive credit for it in the chapter (that rule applies for this story too, even if I am not on hiatus). Anyway, time for the new story! Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

"Ah! H-hey! Let go of me!" Eren yelled as the police officer led a noisy brunette to his squad car.

"You have the right to remain silent." The cop replied in a monotone voice, obviously rehearsed. "Anything you say can and will be used against you. You've been charged with second-degree murder, and I've been ordered to take you in."

"What!? Second-degree MURDER!?" Eren frantically yelled. "I've never killed anyone!"

"Yeah, that's what they all say, kid." And with that, Eren was shoved into the back seat, which disgustingly smelled like urine and blood. Eren's heart was pounding like crazy and he was starting to get a little lightheaded.He silently prayed, begging God that this could just be some sick joke, a twisted nightmare, anything but reality! But alas, if the painfully tight cuffs leaving marks on his wrists, and the loud sirens worthy of a migraine coming from outside were any indicator, it _was_ reality.

"I. Am. So. Screwed." Eren mumbled between deep breaths as he tried to control his breathing (and failing miserably).

The rest of the ride was a blur, with Eren drifting in and out of consciousness, both from exhaustion (in his defense, that was one BUFF cop) and uneven breathing. It was probably around two thirty in the morning when the cop screeched to a halt in front of the state jail in all its barbed-wire glory. The sudden stop had jostled Eren and caused him to hit his head on the barred window he had been leaning against, quickly waking him up in a violent way and causing him to let loose a string of curses as he hissed in pain. The cop got out and opened the door for Eren. When he made no attempt to move, the cop grabbed him roughly by his arm and jerked him out of the car, nearly dislocating his shoulder.

"Walk." The cop pointed in the direction he wanted Eren to go and when Eren began to slowly shuffle forward, the cop stepped in close behind him, with his hand near his holster.

As impossible as it was to believe, about an hour later, Eren had been fingerprinted and had gotten to stand along the wall of shame as his picture was taken (if you know what I mean) and was now being led to a cell.

"You will be tried in court two months from now." Another cop, this time a woman, explained as she led him. "And if I may suggest, you're awfully cute, so you should do your best to lay low." She raised an eyebrow and glanced in his direction, expecting an answer.

"Y-yes ma'am. I'll do my best to." Eren replied quietly, meeting her eyes as he did so.

"Good. Keep up that attitude, and you may actually survive here."

"Uh...thanks?"

The police woman chuckled at his reply and stopped in front of a cell.

"Here you are kid. Meet Levi Ackerman, your cell mate."

Eren looked through the tiny window from where he was standing and saw a pale, short man with steely gray eyes, and black raven hair cut in a strangely attractive undercut. The man named Levi looked up at him from where he was sitting and Eren knew then he was screwed.

"Levi, meet Eren Jeager. Your new cell mate."

"Um, with all do respect, what happened to the old one?" Eren asked, cautiously eyeing Levi from where he stood. The woman cackled.

"Trust me, kid. You don't wanna know." And with that, she opened the cell door, shoved a still hand-cuffed Eren in, and closed the cell.

"Okay kid. Turn around and put your wrists here." She motioned to a small opening in the door, obviously for uncuffing inmates and inserting food trays. Eren hastily obeyed, not wanting to remain defenseless with this scary inmate any longer than he had to.

"By the way, my name is Officer Zoe if you ever need anything. I've got to go back and report now, so good luck!" And with that, the crazy cop started _skipping_ down the hallway. Eren watched her leave, full of confusion, bewilderment, and dread. H turned to face his cell mate, Levi.

"S-so, um...which bunk is yours?"

"The bottom one. Touch it and you're dead, understand?"

"Uh, y-yes. I understand." A paled Eren answered, unable to keep his voice from wavering.

"Good." Levi raised a brow. "Are you always this obedient, Eren?"

"Huh?" Eren asked dumbly.

"Oh, I don't believe I stuttered. I said, 'are you always this obedient, Eren'. So, are you?" The shorter inmate stood and slowly strode over to where Eren stood, causing him to back up as Levi advanced.

"N-no, I don't believe so.." Eren stuttered. His heart was pounding. He knew he would soon be back up against the wall, which would not be a good thing for him. Especially if Levi was as strong as he looked (the guy was freakin' ripped). As soon as Eren realized his fear, it was justified as his back hit the wall, and Eren let loose every profanity he knew.

"Got a mouth on ya, huh brat? Well, we'll work on that later. As long as you're here, we're going to need some rules." Levi walked up to Eren and pointed to the chair in the corner of the cell. "Sit."

Eren immediately complied, and plopped down on the chair. The shorter male followed and stood in front of him,and looked down at him with a glare that made his blood run cold.

"Alright. Rule number one, as I said before, don't touch my stuff. If you're feeling brave enough to try it, go ahead. But remember this: you'll only try it once. Rule number two, again, no fucking messes. This may be prison, but it's not a farm, and I will not live in a pigsty. And if you don't clean up after yourself, I will make you clean to the point where it's a habit so bad, you couldn't break it if you wanted to. Rule number three, don't back-talk me, and don't sass me. If you do I will rip out your tongue so that you _can't_ back-talk or sass me. Rule number four, I can cuss, and you can't. Honestly, this rule is more for your protection with you being a first-timer in here. If you get to runnin' your mouth and say something that pisses someone off, they won't hesitate to jump your ass. And look at you. You're not exactly in any shape to defend yourself against a badass."

"U-um, are you a badass?" Eren asked.

"Abso-fucking-lutely. And I won't hesitate to kick your ass either if you step out of line. Anymore questions?"

"Not now, no." Eren replied.

"Good. Alright, continuing, on rule number five. There will be no drugs or cigarettes in this cell. I'm not saying you do either, but I find them disgusting and as long as you're in my presence, they might as well not exist. My final and most important rule, rule number six, is that you are forbidden to challenge me in any way. I am top dog in this jail, and as long as I'm in here, you will obey my orders. I don't care what that damn warden Pixis says, but _I_ run this jail. He's too much of a drunk to do his job anyway. So, any questions?"

Eren frowned, "Uh, I guess not. No."

"Good. Now, get to bed lousy brat. It's three in the morning and roll call is at four. I ought to kick your ass for waking me up, but seeing you couldn't have helped it and that you're a newbie, I'll let it slide this once."

"U-um, thanks? And what makes you think I'm a newbie anyway?" Eren asked, earning a small chuckle from Levi.

"Are you kidding? It's fucking obvious. You looked like you were going to faint or get sick when shitty glasses brought you here. And the fact that you don't have any visible piercings or tattoos is a dead giveaway too."

"Huh? But I don't see any on you either."

"Tch. Look." Levi said as he turned his back to Eren. He unbuttoned his orange jumpsuit in the front and pulled down low enough so that Eren could clearly see a large tattoo covering his back. It was two wings, overlapping each other, one lighter than the other.

"It's beautiful. Calling it just a tattoo almost seems wrong. Who did it?" Eren asked.

"A friend of mine." Levi replied, and Eren knew he wasn't really going to get more of an answer than that.

"So...I guess I'll be getting to bed now..." Eren said as a wave of fatigue washed over him.

"Finally. Even for a brat you talk a lot." Levi retorted and plopped onto his bunk after Eren had climbed into his.

"Hey Levi? Thanks."

"For what, you sleep-depriving idiot?"

"Not kicking my ass."

"Tch. Don't thank me yet." Levi retorted, but Eren could hear the smile in his voice.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eren groaned. Mornings had never been his thing, but getting up at 4AM was a _bitch_. As Levi had warned him the night before, it was time for role call, and police officers were walking down the rows of cells yelling, blowing whistles, and banging on the doors. Eren had never missed his annoying alarm clock so much in all his life.

"Oi, brat. You awake?" Levi asked him. He stood on his tip-toes to see over Eren's bunk, and whacked the groggy figure on his head.

" _Ow_! I _was_ , but I think you just about knocked me out!" Eren whined, jolting upright as he rubbed his sore head.

"Hey, what did I say about backtalk?"

"What backtalk? I didn't say anything offensive." Eren frowned, climbing down his bunk. Levi raised a brow, but just as he was about to say something, Officer Zoe was banging on their door and blowing a whistle so hard, her face was turning blue, making Eren cringe. Levi didn't really seem phased, so Eren took an educated guess and decided he was used to it.

"GOOD MORNING SHORTY BABY!" She yelled after taking a deep breath so she wouldn't pass out. Levi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Um, Officer Zoe? Could you be... a little less loud?" Eren asked, already feeling a headache coming on. Levi looked over at him.

"Don't waste your breathe bra-"

Tweet! TWEET! TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

"Ah! Mrs. Zoe! _Please_ lose the whistle!" Eren yelled over the whistle, covering his ears. Officer Zoe put the whistle in her pocket as she cackled and opened their cell door.

"You can call me Hanji, Eren. That's what everybody else calls me."

"Wait, _criminals_ know your first and last name!? Why would you tell them that!? Can't they _track you down_ or something!?"

"No. Knowing her, I'm sure most criminals would rather receive the death penalty than spend a day with her alone." Levi grumbled.

"Aw! Shorty baby! Don't be like that!" Hanji whined.

"Myself included." Levi replied, as he strolled past her out of the cell. Hanji giggled.

"You gotta come out too, Eren!" Hanji coos, motioning the boy over to the door.

"Uh...okay..." Eren cautiously (while keeping his eyes on Hanji and the whistle in her pocket) walks out of the cell, and Hanji shuts it behind him.

"Don't worry. You'll be allowed back in your cell after role call. We just lock it for now in case an inmate decides to run off and hide or whatever. It's easier to make sure all inmates are out of their cells then lock them out, than it is to check every cell for a runaway inmate." She explained. Eren just nodded and runs after Levi, hoping to both escape Hanji, and find out more from the raven about how role call works.

"Hey, Levi? What am I supposed to do during role call?" Eren asks once he catches up to the shorter male.

"Well, we usually line up by alphabetical order by last name. What does your last

name start with?"

"'J'." Eren answer earns a small smirk from Levi.

"Sorry kid. You're not gonna enjoy getting to know the idiot you stand next to."

"Who exactly am I standing next to?" Eren asked nervously.

"That horse-faced idiot, Jean." Levi replied, rolling his eyes. "Careful not to look at his bitch Marco for too long, otherwise he suddenly gets the idea that he can take on the whole world and kick your ass."

"Has he ever challenged you?" Eren asked.

"No. He's seen what I can do to a person when you piss me off. I'm usually only challenged by newbies who _haven't_ been around long enough to see. And besides, I don't really pay any mind to Marco."

"Oh." Eren's about to ask what, exactly, hasn't _he_ seen, when he is cut off by a tall, blonde man with huge eyebrows.

"Alright everyone, line up in your assigned spots so we can get this over with."

The man's voice practically drips with authority, to the point where Eren almost _wants_ to follow the command. Said brunette, unfortunately, cannot though. He didn't know who this 'Jean' guy was, so he didn't know where he should stand. As inmates all around him rush to line up, Eren makes his way to the officer, to perhaps have him point out his line up location.

"Uh, sir-"

"Oh, you're the new one we got last night, aren't you?" The officer asks, effectively cutting Eren off.

"Um, yes, but how did you know that? There's hundreds of inmates here."

"Well, I don't recognize you, and you're not rushing to obey me." The man looked at Eren's confused face and chuckled. "I'm messing with you. Lighten up some, kid. You'll be standing in front of Kirstein." Eyebrows finishes, pointing towards him, before turning away to supervise other inmates.

"First the loudest woman on Earth, then the world's most stuck up and bossy midget, and now an interrupting, eyebrow-Rapunzel. I am so going to die here." Eren mutters as he takes his place in line.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Uh oh...Sorry for the long-month-without-update. I know I mentioned to some people that I was going to update on the weekend, but yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, something came up, and blah, blah, blah, I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. Please don't kill me~**

Eren learned, quickly, that he hated both role call _and_ Jean. Earlier this morning, when he had rushed to get in line, that jerk had decided to _trip_ him. What was this, fucking high school? Woops. Language. Eren sighed. He was currently sitting alone at a table eating _something_ that happened to look like it had already been eaten and regurgitated. Yuck. Part of him hoped that Levi would come over and eat with him, but he knew he was just pushing his luck to wish that much. Levi was already currently talking to a bunch of other scary guys at a table on the other side of the room, and if he was as dangerous as he said he was, Eren figured asking him to sit with him just because he was the only person he knew and because he didn't want to be lonely would seem weak.

As he sat there, moping about his luck, Eren heard someone call out to him. Whe he looked up to find the source of the beckoning, he saw it was a young, dark-haired, freckle-faced adult, possibly in his late teens to early twenties. When the caller saw he had finally gained Eren's attention, he motioned him over with a wave of his arm. Eren looked around, confused that he was possibly signaling someone else. Well, there was no one else near him, so Eren grabbed his tray (to avoid it being stolen), got up, and walked over.

"Uh, were you calling me?" Eren asked.

"Yeah, I was. Is that okay?" The other male asked, with a sudden look of concern in his eyes.

"Yes, of course!" Eren quickly replied. "Why wouldn't it be?" Wow, this guy was a softie. The quick answer seemed to reassure freckle-face as he let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Why don't you join us, then? You seem lonely over there by yourself." He gestured to a seat in front of him and Eren took it.

"Wow. Thank you. You're surprisingly considerate to be surrounded by so many other people that are...less considerate." Eren thought aloud, looking around at the other "less considerates". Freckle-face just laughed.

"Thanks. By the way, I don't believe I know your name? Mine is Marco."

"Well, thanks Marco. I'm Eren."

"And I'm Jean." Suddenly, a tray slammed down next to Marco.

"Um, I think I know who you are already." Eren said, glaring at Jean. "And now, _Jean_ , I'd like to ask you why you tripped me this morning."

His glare was met by an equal one from Jean. "I don't owe you answers, _Eren_. I don't owe you anything. And now, _I'd_ like to ask _you_ why the hell you're over here."

"Jean, calm down. I invited him over." Marco calmly cut in. Jean's glare disappeared instantly.

"What? Why?"

"Well, he was sitting over there by himself and he looked lonely so-"

"So what!? His crybaby ass isn't my problem!" Jean slammed his hand on the table and turned to glare at Eren, but his attention was quickly whipped back to Marco when he heard faint sniffling.

"Aw, Marco, don't cry. I didn't mean-"

"Why won't you let him sit over here!? He's nice and he didn't do anything to you and you won't let me talk to anyone else without throwing a fit!" Marco's speech was cut off by gushing tears as he began to cry.

"But Marco, you don't know him! What if he tries to hurt you? What if he tries to get closer to you?"

"Stop being so jealous, I don't want your boyfriend! He was just nice and invited me over!" Eren argued. Geez, Levi wasn't kidding when he said to stay away from Marco. Jean was a paranoid, self-conscious turd. Jean glared at Eren.

"You stay out of this!" Jean growled and went back to comforting his boyfriend, but Eren was having none of that. _Stay out of this?_ Oh, no. Eren was the reason this whole dispute started.

"How about, 'no'? What makes you think you can order me about, horse-face?" Uh oh. Jean's face turned bright red when he heard his nickname. Eren couldn't help it! When he heard Levi say it, the name had just secretly stuck in his mind. And it didn't help that it was oh-so fitting, either.

"What did you just call me?" Jean growled. And that's when he threw the first punch.


	4. Chapter 4

**SCHOOL'S OUT! YASSS! Look forward to quicker and longer updates! I'm glad you guys have taken a liking to this story. It's my favorite I've started so far. Nd sorry I haven't gotten very far into it yet. That is going to change though.**

 **What happened recently: "and that's when Jean threw the first punch"**

Chapter 4

Eren barely had time to duck out of the way before Jean's fist whizzed by his face. Instantly Eren ducked under Jean's still out-stretched arm and elbowed him in the ribs, earning a sharp, pained gasp. He was just hoping that if he hurt him bad enough or made him lose his breath, his opponent would have to stop. He also hoped that it wouldn't further enrage his already pissed off enemy and encourage him to fight more. Sadly, that's exactly what happened. And as Jean's face turned so red it made tomatoes look pale, Eren made a mental note to curse his stupidity later. As Jean throws up his leg in a way that looks as though it's going to be a kick, Eren throws up his arms to protect himself, but quickly realizes his mistake when Jean knees him in the groin, leaving him doubled over breathless as well, but not so much to the point where it could prevent the long string of profanities currently spilling over his lips. Eren could already tell he and Levi weren't going to get along well over that rule. Standing back up straight to watch for Jean's next move (and doing so just in time) Eren quickly sidesteps when Jean comes rushing at him, fists raised. Jean doesn't get very far after just missing Eren though, as the brunette quickly turns around, facing Jean's back and wraps his arm around his neck, effectively stopping him in a choke hold. Eren tightens his arms to the point where Jean would have to stay still to breathe, but not enough to choke or cause permanent damage. Just a sore throat for a day or two. Jean will be having none of that though, as he jerks his elbow back, striking Eren in his stomach. Eren's grip weakens, but not enough to allow escape.

Eren adds more pressure to Jean's neck. This time, enough to cut off his air supply, leaving him gasping like an asthmatic in an all-smoking restaurant.

"If I let you go, can we call it even and finish our food without another incident?" Eren asks between breaths. Jean continues to glare, but reluctantly nods, his face turning red again but this time not out of anger. Eren releases him and both plop down on their seats. Eren looks over to Marco.

"I'm sorry I beat up your boyfriend." Eren offers sheepishly.

"Yeah Marco. I'm sorry he couldn't beat me up." Jean follows with an... apology, Eren guessed of his own. Both boys glare at each other.

"Um...it's fine? I suppose? I mean, as long as you don't do it again, I guess. You were both in the wrong, so I can't say I pick a side."

"Fair enough."

Eren sighed as he looked around, noticing everyone in the room had taken an interest in their little fight... Levi Ackerman included.Eren's heart practically stopped mid-beat when his own green eyes met grayones. Boy, either Levi's normally stoic face was a bit more scary today, or he wasn't very happy right now. And going by what just happened, Eren guessed it was the latter.

Eren quickly whipped his head back down to his food to avoid eye contact with the scary inmate, and took a large bite of his food to cover his sudden action, but instantly ended up regretting it as the disgusting slop stuck at the back of his throat causing him to choke and gag as he worked it down. He wondered if Levi was still staring daggers at him, but couldn't quite work up the means to look.

"Eren? What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Hm? Oh, sorry Marco. It's nothing. Just, uh, trying to choke down breakfast is all." Eren lied, hoping he sounded convincing. To his relief, his answer seemed to please Marco as he turned back to Jean and picked up where their conversation had left off.

 _Boy, I'd rather see a ghost than_ be _one right now._

After breakfast, the prisoners were allowed to wonder about as they pleased until lunch. Eren had learned that the showers and gym were open until lock down. So, with nothing better to do, he decided to check out the gym. He would be in jail for a while, after all, so why not try to get a little stronger, should he get into another fight? Eren couldn't tell if he should regret his decision, or appreciate it once he got there though.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **Hi guys! Another chapter! Yay! So I've been rereading my story to get an idea on how to keep it advancing forward, and I've noticed some things. Like some spelling and grammar errors. So sorry! I guess this is what I get for repeatedly backspacing to edit something. It never fails, I write it on paper and swear up and down that it's done, but when I type it up, I always find some way I think I could make it sound better. Ugh! Please point out any errors if you see them! And thanks if you actually bothered to read through this!**

 **What happened recently:** **"** **Eren couldn't tell if he should regret his decision, or appreciate it once he got there though** **."**

Eren thought of himself as a logical person. Even with his short temper (which had yet to make an appearance so far) he always found himself weighing the pros and cons of tricky situations. So when he saw Jean and Levi already there lifting weights, he counted that as a con. When he saw Marco there on a treadmill, he counted that as a pro. When he saw Officer Zoe (or Hanji, as she insisted he call her) supervising, he marked that as _two_ cons. It was when he thought about big scary Levi and Jean beating up little not-so-scary Eren, pros won. And with that in mind, he made his way over to Marco at the treadmills. He figured it would be best to avoid Levi and Jean at the weightlifting station for four reasons.

It would be two on one; "buffness" (well...it COULD be a word) and experience against "non-buffness" and inexperience (you get the idea)

They were both holding metal heavy enough to probably bash in a human skull

He had managed to royally piss off both earlier this morning

He wanted to live

"Hi Marco." Eren said as he hopped on the treadmill next to Marco's.

"Oh, hi Eren! Look, I'm really sorry about earlier with Jean-"

"Don't worry about it. Really. I'll just keep my distance and hope for the best."

"I _am_ really sorry Eren..."

After that, the two settled into a rather awkward silence. As it started to become unbearable, Eren turned up the speed on his treadmill to distract himself, and to think. Back at home, anytime he couldn't think he would always go running. It always helped him clear his head. _Home, huh? I wonder how Mika's doing. And Armin. Hell, they don't even know where I am. Maybe I should call them. Hanji told me I was allowed one phone call, after all. I'm sure mom and dad are worried too. And I'll be missing a lot of school. I don't even know if I can make up college courses. Probably not though. That would be my luck. I wonder why they even have a gym like this. Wouldn't strong inmates be a problem if someone ever needed to be subdued? And what's with crazy officers giving out their whole names? This whole place is weird. Not to mention-_

"...ren. Eren!"

"Huh? What?" Eren looked around, confused. "Oh. Yeah Marco?"

"You okay? I called your name like six times and you didn't even flinch. I was going to ask you how you're able to run so fast. You've been keeping this pace for about half an hour now."

"Half an hour? Oh...Sorry. I didn't realize it had been so long." Eren offered him a sheepish smile. "I ran a lot at home."

"I'll say. You could probably use that speed to your advantage if Jean ever picks a fight with you again. He may have muscle, but he's pretty slow. But you already knew that, huh?"

" You're telling me how to beat your boyfriend? I would have expected you to side with him on that."

"Well, like I said before, I didn't really pick a side. You were both in the wrong."

"Fair enough." Eren nodded with a cheeky smile.

Some time later, all the inmates were called to get lunch, which was pretty much worse than breakfast. Eren sat back alone at that one table he had isolated himself at before his fight with Jean. If that horseface was going to sit with Marco, Eren figured it wouldn't be wise if he sat with Marco too. As he held his breath while he ate (to help block out the taste) he didn't hear the footsteps approaching him. When he finally noticed the shadow looming over him, he did look and saw a stoic Levi holding a tray. Without waiting for a comment from Eren, Levi dropped his tray and sat across from the brunette, making eye contact.

"Look, brat. I don't know what happened this morning with Jean and I don't care. You broke a rule. And on your first day too. I thought I made myself clear that fighting wasn't allowed."

"Um...all you said was that I had to keep my mouth shut so that I wouldn't get into a fight."

"But you didn't. I heard he threw the first punch, so you obviously said something to piss him off." As Levi said this Eren flinched and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Shit. Why are midgets so observant?

"What was that, you little fucker?" Levi's glare could melt glaciers.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Let me refresh your memory: 'why are midgets so observant'." Eren paled at this.

"I...said that out loud?" He asked meekly.

"Tch. Obviously, you damn brat." He leaned forward and grabbed the collar of Eren's jumpsuit, pulling him closer and lowering his voice dangerously. "You have cost me a night's worth of sleep, gotten into a fight, and insulted me. I am getting tired of your shit already, and you haven't even been here a full day. I really don't want to beat the hell out of you right now, but you're tempting me like you wouldn't believe. But lets face it. We wouldn't want to hurt a gorgeous face like yours, right?" Levi released Eren's collar and studied his face. He couldn't help the wicked smirk that spread across his face when he saw Eren's flushed face and wide eyes. So he liked that last comment there, huh?

"So you're turned on by that...nice. It's been a while since we've had a cutie like you who wasn't constantly reminding everyone they're straight as a line. Not that we've had many cuties regardless. Either way, keep that up and you may be too fucking adorable to resist, no matter what your sexuality."

Eren's blush only deepened, and he cursed himself for not having better control over his emotions. He quickly looked down and allowed his soft and feathery shaggy bangs to cover most of his blush. They ate the rest of lunch in silent. Or rather, Levi ate and Eren worked in vain to cool his heated cheeks. Levi was hot. Smoking hot. And Eren hated him for it. It wasn't fair for a deep sexy voice, attitude, and body to come all in one package. As he thought this, he was interrupted by a large squeal. When he looked up to find its source, he was tackled by Officer Hanji.

"Mrs. Hanji!? What are you doing?" Eren gasped out as he was pulled into a bone crushing hug. Seriously? This nut case was going to get herself killed.

"Aw, Eren! You caught Levi's attention! He hasn't shown any interest in anyone since he's been here...until now, anyway." Hanji wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and flashed a big toothy grin.

"Oi, fuck off shitty glasses. You're suffocating the brat. And were you spying on us? I thought you were supposed to keep an eye on the general population, not listen in on specific conversations."

"I am, but why pass up an opportunity to watch mama's little shorty baby grow up? And Eren's a cute pick too." She released Eren, who fell off his seat gasping for air. Something was seriously off with this woman.

"And Levi, doesn't he kind of look like Isabel? Look at his eyes-" She was interrupted by Levi as he slammed his fists on the table. He was shaking in anger and when he spoke, his voice had once again acquired the venom it had held earlier.

"Hanji. No one can replace them. No one! They're gone and that bastard who killed them is still roaming the Earth while I sit here and rot for his crime!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **What happened recently: "** **They're gone and that bastard who killed them is still roaming the Earth while I sit here and rot for his crime!** **"**

Eren was shocked into silence, before he whispered out a faint "what?"

Levi looked over at Eren, and Eren could have sworn he saw his glare soften a bit and his eyes water for a second, and then Levi was suddenly his stoic self again with that everlasting slight frown of his.

"It's not a story worth telling, brat." And with that, he got up and stormed to their shared cell.

"Hanji...what's he talking about?" Eren inquired, dazed. "It was like he was a whole other person..." He looked over at Hanji and was surprised to see her cheerful face had gone grim.

"It's not a pretty story. He was pretty well-off before he came here. He had a high-paying job and a great place. His uncle's the reason he was put here."

"His uncle? What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that his uncle owned a medicine manufacturing company of some sort. He made a deal with the head doctor of some hospital that would make them both a lot of money. The catch was though, that what they were doing is quite illegal: selling addictive medicines to drug dealers. Big time drug dealers, I mean. We're talking about the kind of guys you see in mafia movies. Anyway, Levi found out about it and got caught in the act of snooping. So to get him out of the picture and to keep him quiet, his uncle killed his two closest friends at the time and framed him for it. Long story short, Levi's here now."

"So, if you know about it, why is Levi still being held here?"

"Because it's what he's told us. Even after investigating, we don't actually have any proof that what he's said is true. And that's definitely not enough to convince a judge. I mean, Erwin and I believe him because we've known him for a long time. Even before he came here."

"Erwin?"

"The large man with the large eyebrows."

"Oh. Roll call guy. Got it. So, you said I looked like one of his friends?"

"Yeah. Isabel. The other was a boy named Farlan. Those three were inseparable. You have large, pretty teal eyes like Isabel did. I think that's why he's noticed you. I mean, he didn't think of her in that way, but to see something familiar like that which reminds him of what he holds dear...you can see why he's developed a liking towards you." Hanji wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as Eren turned beat red.

"I-I mean, how on Earth could he like me in any way? I've broken rules he's set and called him a midget!"

"Has he beaten you up for it?"

"Well...no. But he's threatened-"

"Then he likes you." And with that, she got up and walked off. Eren sat there and thought for a while, then went up to his cell where he knew Levi would be.

"Levi?"

"What do you want?" Levi snapped.

"Hanji told me everything...about why you're in here, I mean."

"Oh, she has, has she? Well, fucking fantastic."

"Levi-"

"Don't, Eren. Just don't. I don't want sympathy and I don't want apologies. Don't apologize for what you didn't do."

"I wasn't going to apologize. I just wanted to say that I'm here when you need me. I'm like you; I shouldn't be here either. And since I'm the only person here like you, that means we should have each others backs. I know this sounds cheesy, but I want to help you, in any way I can." Eren looked over at Levi's hunched over figure sitting in the chair in the corner of the cell and sighed when Levi didn't respond. He turned around and was about to leave the cell when Levi stood up, strode over, grabbed him by his arm and spun him around before pressing their lips together. He released the brunette and walked out of the cell, before calling to a momentarily brain-dead Eren over his shoulder.

"Absolutely adorable, brat."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Hey everybody! Yay! Another update! I'm sure you guys are wondering why Eren is in jail now that you know why Levi is. Don't worry, I promise you'll find out eventually! In this chapter, Eren gets to see Armin and Mikasa, so expect feels!**

 **What happened recently:** **"Absolutely adorable, brat."**

Eren _thought_ he was once a rational person. He weighed the pros and cons of every tricky situation he faced. Like he had done when he went to the prison's gym for the first time. But now...

...now he wasn't sure what to think. Levi kissing him yesterday hadn't been a pro, or a con. It was certainly pleasant, but there was nothing other than that, was there?

Eren had spent his whole morning thinking about the kiss and why Levi had done it. Was it because of what Hanji said? That he reminded Levi of "what he holds dear"?

Eren decided it must have been because Levi was feeling so much emotion he wasn't thinking properly, when the bushy 'browed role call guy Hanji called 'Erwin', walked up to where Eren was sitting at an empty table in the prison's cafeteria. Breakfast had ended hours ago, and Eren guessed it was around noon, but where else was he supposed to go to avoid the risk of running into Levi? He always spent his mornings and early afternoons in the gym, and spent the rest of his day showering and cleaning up in their cell, not that there was much to clean. It amazed Eren how one could spend four hours cleaning a room that was the size of a large storage shed.

"That phone call request you put in this morning was accepted. I have the honor of escorting you."

"Oh, thanks Officer Smith." Eren got up and walked in front of the cop, as was the custom to avoid sneak attacks by the prisoners.

"You can call me Erwin."

"Oh, not you too. Aren't you guys afraid the prisoners here will track you down and kill you when they get out?" Eren's exasperated voice was followed by a low chuckle.

"Only Hanji gives her first name out to everybody. But she told me about you and I've deemed it safe enough. Especially if Levi thinks you're okay." And as he said this, Eren could hear the smile in his voice. He whirled around and faced the man, bright red in the face.

"How did you know!?"

"Hanji." coolly answered as his smile grew, earning a facepalm.

"I should have known..."

When they reached the phones, Eren rushed to sit down and quickly dialed his sister's cell number, knowing Armin would probably be near by because they would have both noticed him missing by now. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a certain yellow coconut answer frantically after the phone rang only once.

"Hello! Who is this? Eren, is that you?"

"Yeah, Armin. It's me. Is Mika there? Put me on speaker." Eren smiled fondly when he heard a faint "It's Eren!" over the line and the sound of a quick scuffle for control of the phone before it was put on speaker.

"Eren! Are you okay? Where are you? Are you hurt? Why haven't you called? What's going on? Mom and dad are worried sick!" Mikasa rambled over the line, earning a nervous laugh from Eren.

"Um...I need to tell you guys something, but you have to promise to listen to me and not freak out or tell mom and dad yet." Eren said slowly, filled his voice with caution.

"Okay..." Armin answered suspiciously. He didn't like the terms of the agreement, but he knew Eren wouldn't spill otherwise.

"Mika, you too. I need you _both_ to promise." There was a faint pause on the other side of the line before he heard her agree reluctantly.

"Fine."

"Great. Uh, yeah...I'm in jail-" As soon as the words left his mouth he was cut off.

"WHAT!?"

"Eren! What did you do!?"

"Mom and dad are gonna be pissed!"

"Is this the result of another stupid dare from Ymir?"

"HEY!" Eren yelled over the merciless questioning. "Guys, calm down! I don't know why I'm in here, and mom and dad are _not_ gonna be pissed because no one is going to _tell_ them, remember? Not yet anyway. Let me explain. Remember the other day when someone knocked on the door and I answered it? Yeah, that was a cop. He arrested me and told me I was being arrested for second degree murder- _hold on_ , I'm not finished yet." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he cut off the beginning of a protest. "He asked if it was the Jaeger residence and if we had any guests over and as soon as I said it was and we didn't (Armin had been living with them since his grandfather died), he was dragging me to a squad car! I haven't done anything you guys, I swear! And I'm not even going to be tried to prove it until a couple months."

There was another pause on the line before he could hear Armin and Mikasa quietly discussing it among themselves before Armin said

"We believe you, Eren. The cop _must_ have come around the time we were watching that movie, so we wouldn't have noticed you were gone until it was over. And even then we didn't think much of it at the time. We all thought you must have just gotten tired halfway through again and went to bed."

"' _Again?'_ Hey, how could I have fallen asleep watching a movie like _that?_ " Eren pouted. _Another pause._

"Really Eren? You almost _always_ fall asleep in the middle of movies. How could we have known you were _arrested?_ " He could practically _hear_ the deadpanned expressions they wore as Mikasa said this. Eren hung his head in defeat before muttering

"Not _always_. But that's not the point! Point is, I'm in jail, I don't know what to do, and I really miss you guys."

"We miss you too, Eren. Hey, do they have visitation? I mean, I'm pretty sure all jails do, if not most."

"Yeah. Han- I mean, an officer told me earlier that they did when she was explaining my rights."

"Then we'll come first thing tomorrow!"

"Really!? That would be great guys! I can't wait! But what if mom and dad see you sneak out?"

"Oh...Eren, they're going to have to find out eventually. And they will, especially since your mom filed a missing persons report last night." Armin said meekly.

"What!? Oh, man." Eren took a deep breath as the information sunk in. "Yeah, I guess she will find out pretty quick where I am then, since they search names in the computer and it'll pull up that I'm here. Crap. There goes my record." Eren muttered. "Could you guys tell them what's happened for me then? The guard just signaled my time is almost up."

"Sure, Eren. Please promise us you'll do your best to be careful." Mikasa said gently.

"I promise." Eren was on the verge of tears now. "I just miss you guys _so_ much already."

"We miss you too Eren. Bye. We love you."

"I love you too." And the line went dead. Eren put the phone back on its hook before taking a moment to compose himself. Then he allowed Erwin to escort him back to his suddenly lonely table.

 **At home with Armin and Mikasa:**

Carla sat in deep thought as she struggled to comprehend the words she had just heard. Her baby was in jail? It just didn't make sense. Why were the police looking for him when he didn't do anything? There must have been some mistake. Maybe there was another Jaeger family in the area and the police mixed the two up? It was all just so mind-blowing.

Grisha on the other hand sat in stunned silence. So the police had finally found them, huh? Shit. Poor Eren. His son didn't deserve this. His thoughts of concern for his son came to a halt when he heard Mikasa's exciting news.

"And we're all going to see him tomorrow!"

Carla, Armin, and Mikasa were too busy excitedly chatting about how their visit would go to notice how Grisha's face paled.

 **Hee hee! Cliff hanger! Don't hate me~**

 **Now you guys kind of get an idea as to what's going on, huh? And I just died inside writing lonely Eren! Don't worry. He'll get some much needed comfort in the next chapter.** :-)


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Heeeeyyyy! I'm back! Yay! Sorry the progress of this story has been painfully slow. I** _ **promise**_ **not to drop it though. Oh yeah, MAH BIRFDAY WAS DIS MONTH! I AM OFFICIALLY ONE YEAR CLOSER TO DEATH! YAY ME! Anyway, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

It was around twelve thirty when Levi made his way to the cafeteria for lunch. Lunch didn't start until twelve forty-five, but coming a little early always ensured no one found their way to his table (the cleanest one of course) before he got there to preserve its purity. This had been a routine of his since two months after he had been arrested. Needless to say, this had been routine for a while.

When he entered the cafeteria however, routine was broken when he noticed a certain brown-haired brat sitting at the table he had been using to isolate himself for the very small amount of time he had been there. For a moment, Levi decided to ignore him and go on his way, but a second glance at the lonely boy pulled on his heart strings (he was cold, but he wasn't _heartless_ ). Levi was, after all, the reason the boy was so keen on staying away from everyone else. It was obvious to him that Eren had been avoiding him since yesterday; the day Levi had kissed him. With his mind made up, Levi strode over to where Eren sat.

"Hey brat."

" _Gah!_ " Eren had been so deep in thought he failed to notice Levi approach him, resulting in a near heart attack and a broken tail bone as he fell out of his seat and onto the floor. Levi suppressed a smirk as he looked down at a flustered, panting Eren.

"Geez, are you _trying_ to kill me!?" Eren asked with a hand over his pounding heart from where he sat with a numb rear-end on the floor. Levi chuckled slightly.

"No. Not until you give me a reason to anyway. Why are you here?" He thought to help the brunette up, but decided against it when he considered he didn't know how clean his hands were. The boy was already climbing to his feet on his own anyway.

"Um...because I didn't have anything else to do at the time? And because I wanted to think for a bit. I just got off the phone with my family." The affection in his voice was clear.

"Ah. How did it go?" Levi asked, genuinely slightly curious. It wasn't like he knew what it felt like to have a family to call, after all.

"Well, it went pretty okay I guess. They know I'm in jail now. Though none of us know _why_. They took it pretty well though." Eren sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't know _what_ I'm going to do about my classes..."

"Classes?" That perked Levi's interest. The brat was going to school? Damn, the kid's education was wrecked if that was the case.

"Yeah. College. It's all online though. I worked a full time job during the day and went to school on my computer at night." Eren smiled a bit. "If there's one good thing that came out of going to jail, it would have to be no homework."

"What were you working towards?"

"I wanted to get into the music industry." Eren mumbled, a bit embarrassed, further surprising Levi.

"What in the music industry? Producing? Managing?"

"Well, I'm not sure which category it goes under, but I want to be the one doing the singing."

"You sing? Show me."

"Um...can I do it later? Maybe tonight after lock down so no one else will hear?"

"I suppose." Levi rolled his eyes. How did the little shit expect to become a singer when he was so shy about it?

"Thanks Levi." Eren said as he beamed that shit eating grin of his.

"Whatever. So, as for the real reason I'm over here: I guess you didn't enjoy me kissing you very much, huh." Levi asked. It wasn't a question.

"What? No. I didn't _not_ enjoy it. It just caught me off guard. Why would you think that?"

"Oh come on, it's fucking obvious. I just want to know why it offended you so much. You're obviously gay."

"Well, it's just..." Eren trailed off, averting his eyes.

" 'It's just' what, brat?" Levi asked irritably. Why couldn't he just get a straight answer?

"Well, it was my first kiss from a guy since I became gay. I only discovered my sexuality awhile ago. And while we're on the subject, that's how I almost lost my virginity. I almost did it with my ex before I noticed I wasn't really getting tuned on...turns out, she noticed too." He finished with a nervous laugh. Eren hadn't intended to be so...open. It just made more sense if you had the whole story. Levi cringed.

"That's rough."

"Yeah. Plus I didn't quite approve of you doing it without my consent." Eren frowned at the raven and folded his arms.

" 'Consent'? Oh, that's hilarious. You were fucking adorable and it was just a kiss. You'll live. In fact, I think you rather enjoyed it."

"Shut up! I did not." Eren glared at Levi, which the raven found quite amusing. He couldn't quite tell why, but he knew he was starting to like Eren fiery temper. It made it so much more fun to mess with him.

The two settled in a comfortable silence before Levi spoke up.

"So, you've mentioned more than once before that you're not supposed to be here. How does that work?"

"Well, I was at home watching a movie with my family when someone banged on the door. I answered it, and long story short, it was a cop who hauled me off here. I've never commit a crime, especially not second-degree _murder_." Levi sat in thought a moment after hearing this.

"Do they have your name right?"

"Apparently. The cop asked me who I was before I got arrested." Eren grumbled, starting to get annoyed. To this Levi shrugged.

"I dunno then, kid. People don't get arrested for nothing."

"Really? I didn't know that. Thank you ever so much for informing me." Eren spat, rolling his eyes. His temper, which had been in check since he had gotten there, was long overdue for an outburst, and Levi sitting here convinced he was a criminal wasn't helping a bit. _There's that feisty temper again,_ Levi thought as he raised an eyebrow and looked Eren dead in the eye with a stoic face before speaking.

"Do you want to know what happened to the last wise guy who mouthed off to me? He had a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, a missing tooth, and a broken wrist when I was done with him. Not to mention the other bruises the he had."

"What did you have?" Eren asked.

"Bruised and bloody knuckles." Levi replied.

"Oh..." Eren shivered. "How long ago was this?"

"About six months ago. They just put me in isolation for a good while."As Levi said this, other inmates began to file in for their second meal of the day.

"Well, seeya brat." Levi said as he got up and began to make his way over to his table.

"Wait!" Eren called after him, causing the raven to pause and look back at him. "Um..." he paused for a moment, blushing slightly. "Could I sit with you? Please? It would be just for today. I promise I won't leave a single crumb!"

"Damn right you won't, because you're staying right there."

"Aw, come on Levi. Please? I'll behave. I'm tired of being alone." Eren looked up at him with the best puppy eyes he could muster (which were pretty damn adorable puppy eyes). If Levi didn't know any better, he would have thought someone had left their kicked dog on the seat where Eren once sat. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Fine. But one crumb and I'll have you clean this entire fucking room." Levi grumbled. Eren smirked and followed Levi to his table, not noticing the stares and whispers running throughout the other inmates as they watched with awe as the infamous Levi Ackerman let a newbie- a brat- sit as his table. But Levi noticed. And for some reason, it gave him satisfaction to see his 'peers' in such shock.

 _That's right. Go ahead and let them stare. Let them think Eren's your bitch. Let them think Eren's yours. Because eventually, he will be._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **DAYUM! This fic is over a year old. Time really flies when school consumes your life, doesn** **'t it? *Le sigh* I'm sorry guys, I really am. I WON'T drop this fic though, I love it too much. Besides, it's one of my first, and I intend to use it to practice and get better for fics in the future.**

 **What happened recently: "** _ _ **That's right. Go ahead and let them stare. Let them think Eren's your bitch. Let them think Eren's yours. Because eventually, he will be.**__ _ _ **"**__

Eating with Levi wasn't really…bad, per say. It was just extremely…stressful. The entire time Eren was eating, he practically had a minor heart attack anytime the food (if you could call it that) on his spoon so much as jiggled. Needless to say, he was the last one to have… _substance_ on his tray. And it certainly didn't help to have Levi glaring at him in annoyance the entire time, obviously fed up from waiting.

"What the hell is taking you so long?" Eren didn't have to look up to know the expression Levi wore.

"I don't want to make a mess, don't rush me." Eren pouted, pausing afterwards to guide yet another careful spoonful to his mouth.

"As much as I appreciate your efforts for cleanliness, this is a bit too time consuming for my liking. And I'll rush you if I want to, damnit."

"If you're so bored, why don't you just leave and do your own thing! I don't need you to watch me eat. It's creepy."

" _Leave?_ And have this gorgeous table fall victim to a messy accident I'm not here to prevent? Hilarious. It doesn't take anyone a whole fucking _hour_ to eat this shit, no matter how bad it tastes. And if I recall correctly, you _asked_ to eat here." Levi crossed him arms defiantly as if daring Eren to argue. Naturally, the brat doesn't disappoint.

"Well _I'm sorry_ ," Eren retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not my fault your such a clean freak who has gone to the point of threatening to maintain what you deem _'cleanliness'_. Where I'm from, we call this brand spanking _new,_ Levi." Eren was glaring at his food now; his knuckles white from gripping the spoon. This obviously didn't go unnoticed as Levi visibly tensed.

"Eren. Fucking unclench your fists and relax _right now_ , damnit or I'll take it as a sign of aggression." Levi growled, his own muscles coiling up as he prepared to spring. To his surprise though, Eren just… _deflates._

"I'm sorry Levi. I didn't mean to get so worked up. I shouldn't have challenged you." He then proceeds to stare ruefully at his food before getting up and throwing it away, mentally spent from just one meal. Levi slowly relaxes and looks down at his hands.

"Eren, I'm sorry," Levi sighs. "I didn't…I just…you know what? Fuck it. I shouldn't have-"

"No, I get it. Something must have happened to make you so…how do I say this politely? Uptight, I suppose? I won't push, but if you ever wanna talk about it, let me know." Levi's head shot up as he eyed Eren with barely contained surprise. Where the hell had the obnoxious brat from earlier gone?

"What?" Eren asked nervously. "You're looking at me as if I just told you Hanji isn't crazy."

"You really are so damn adorable."

" _What?_ How is _that_ adorable!? All I did was apologize for-"

"No, you did the right thing. In this situation anyway. I can't promise I wouldn't have hurt you bad just now out of pure instinct. Eren, I'm living among criminals. You have to be watchful for even the littlest signs of hostility here to avoid getting the shit beaten out of you or your ass raped. But in other situations you need to be able to defend yourself. If I was anyone else, you backing down could have been taken as a sign of submission. And Eren, when you submit is when your enemies start thinking about what a great bitch you'll make." Levi looked over a Eren thoughtfully. "Do you even know how to fight?"

"Um…not really. Only the basics." Eren admitted. "I have a friend named Annie back home though who was going to teach me. So far I've only learned how to block a few simple punches, throw someone over my shoulder, and put someone in a head-lock." Levi nodded, processing the information.

"Those will come in handy, but she should have started teaching you the basics first. And it sounds like you've got a stronger defense than offense."

"Oh. Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily. It's just best to have a balance of both."

"What should I do then?"

"I'm going to teach you."

"What!? Really!? Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Eren grinned that suddenly not-so-stupid grin of his as he pulled Levi into a bone-crushing hug before realizing what he was doing. He didn't notice the slight pink tinge to Levi's cheeks as he pulled back and began sputtering apologies.

"Tch. Damn brat. Don't worry about it." Levi waved his arm dismissively as he turned his head to hide his slight blush.

"So, when are we gonna start?"

"Right now, brat."

 **Woo hoo! Training scene net chapter!**


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